How to ship freight in 4 steps

Organizing a transportation of pallets from location A to location B is a lot more complicated than it sounds. There are so many decisions to make, so many aspects to consider when trying to get you product at the right time to the right place, preferably as cheap as possible. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Do not worry! This guide will help you.

So, let’s start from the beginning. The term shipping freight refers to the transportation of larger quantities of products. Usually, these goods are either too large or too heavy to send via parcels, which is why, they need to be placed on pallets. How to organize such pallet shipments? Just follow these four steps.

Choosing the right pallet

First of all, you need to choose the pallet type for your transport. While the europallet is the most common one, there are also other options that might be a better fit to your freight. In the following table you can find a quick overview of the most important pallet types, their sizes and the maximum weight they can carry.

Pallet type

Europallet

Size: 80×120 cm

Max. weight: 800 kg

Block pallet

Size: 100×120 cm

Max. weight: 1000 kg

Mini pallet

Size: 80×60 cm

Max. weight: 300kg

Deciding on transport solution

The next step is to think about the shipping solution. In this step, you need to take several factors into account, such as type of freight, number of pallets, time frame, … There are many different options you could choose from, but for the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the two most significant ones: Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) and Full-Truckload (FTL). 

• FTL: Choose for an FTL transport, when you need to ship large volumes, as usually, 33 europallets fit into the trailer of a truck. However, this might also be the appropriate choice, when you need fast pallet delivery, as there are less stops on the way compared to LTL shipments. You do not want to share the truck space, because you are shipping fresh products or chemicals? Also, in this case a Full-Truckload is the way to go.
• LTL: You need to transport less than 17 pallets? Then you should choose an LTL shipment. During LTL pallet shipments, carriers pick up pallets at multiple locations, which means that you will probably share the truck capacity with other shippers. Of course, this will take longer compared to an FTL delivery. Yet, by using empty truck space in an efficient way, you will benefit from lower prices, while contributing to our environment, as space sharing reduces the amount of trucks on the road.

Selecting the carrier

By now you should have made up your mind about the type of pallet you want to use, the volume of your shipment and the fitting transport solution. But how do you move your shipment from A to B? This is where a carrier comes into play. If your company already has a trusted transportation partner, you can contact them and place your order. 

You do not have a partner, or your current carrier is not available, because you need to ship pallets spontaneously? Then you could profit from digital logistics platforms. Companies such Quicargo already have an extensive network of professional carriers. What does this mean exactly? They are able to find a carrier, who will meet your individual needs, so you do not need to search for a partner and worry about contracts and paperwork. Digital transportation companies offer an all-in-one solution, so the only thing you need to do is to place the order online and wait for your pallets to be picked up and delivered. 

Last but not least: preparing your freight for the transportation

Before sending, it is important to properly prepare your shipment in such a way that they are resistant to bumpy rides. Otherwise, your goods can get damaged. It is also a possibility that the carrier refuses to load your pallets if they are not considered to be ready for transport. This will cost everybody time and money. All these scenarios can easily be avoided. Here are some tips for you:

• Think about the occasions, in which your goods can get damaged (inside the box, on the pallet and from other pallets) and secure from the inside out
• Make sure, that everything is placed on the pallet and distribute weight evenly
• Use professional packaging methods and materials, such as professional wrapping foil to prevent slipping and sliding

Now your palletized freight is ready for shipping!